15 Slice-and-Bake Holiday Cookie Recipes

The smartest holiday cookies: mix the dough, chill the log, slice, and bake. These fifteen slice-and-bake recipes deliver bakery-beautiful cookies with almost no decorating required.

Below you’ll find 15 reader-favorite recipes, each with a photo, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Save your favorites and enjoy!

1. Holiday Sugar Slice-and-Bakes

Buttery sugar cookies rolled in festive sanding sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Red and green sanding sugar

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour and salt until a dough forms.
4. Shape into two logs and roll in sanding sugar.
5. Chill 2 hours until firm.
6. Slice 1/4-inch thick and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Chocolate Chip Slice-and-Bakes

The classic chocolate chip cookie in effortless slice form.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Mix in the flour and salt; fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes.

3. Peppermint Candy Cane Slices

Cool peppermint cookies studded with crushed candy cane.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
• 1 tsp peppermint extract

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and peppermint extract.
3. Mix in the flour and salt; fold in the crushed candy canes.
4. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Snickerdoodle Slice-and-Bakes

Cinnamon-sugar snickerdoodles with zero rolling in cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Coarse sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Mix in the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Shape into logs; roll in coarse sugar.
5. Chill 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.

5. Chocolate Vanilla Pinwheels

Striking swirled pinwheels marbling chocolate and vanilla dough.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Make the base dough; divide in half.
2. Mix cocoa into one half.
3. Roll each half into a rectangle; stack and roll up together.
4. Chill the log 3 hours until very firm.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Almond Shortbread Slices

Melt-in-your-mouth almond shortbread with delicate crumb.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp almond extract

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar.
2. Beat in the yolk and almond extract.
3. Mix in the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
4. Shape into a log and chill 2 hours.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 325°F for 14 to 16 minutes.

7. Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Slices

Festive red-and-white cookies with bright orange zest.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 tsp orange zest

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Mix in the flour, salt, and orange zest.
4. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
5. Shape into logs; chill 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes.

8. Espresso Chocolate Chunk Slices

Bold coffee flavor with pockets of melty chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Dissolve the espresso powder in 1 tsp hot water; add to dough.
4. Mix in the flour and salt; fold in chocolate chunks.
5. Chill logs 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.

9. Gingerbread Spice Slices

All the warm gingerbread spice in a simple sliceable cookie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and both sugars.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Mix in the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
4. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Pistachio Vanilla Slices

Elegant green-flecked cookies with a sugary crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Coarse sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour and salt; fold in the pistachios.
4. Shape into logs; roll in coarse sugar.
5. Chill 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes.

11. Funfetti Holiday Slices

Cheerful sprinkle-studded cookies kids will love.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour and salt.
4. Fold in the sprinkles gently.
5. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

12. Maple Pecan Shortbread Slices

Buttery maple shortbread loaded with toasted pecans.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 tsp maple extract

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and maple extract.
3. Mix in the flour and salt; fold in the pecans.
4. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 325°F for 14 to 16 minutes.

13. Matcha Green Tea Slices

Vibrant green tea cookies with earthy sweetness.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp matcha powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Sift in the flour, matcha, and salt; mix until combined.
4. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
5. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
6. Bake at 325°F for 12 to 14 minutes.

14. Toffee Crunch Slices

Buttery cookies with pockets of crunchy caramel toffee.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Mix in the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Fold in the toffee bits.
5. Shape into logs; chill 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes.

15. Chocolate Peppermint Slices

Rich chocolate cookies with cool peppermint crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the egg.
3. Mix in the flour, cocoa, and salt.
4. Fold in the crushed peppermint.
5. Shape into logs and chill 2 hours.
6. Slice and bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.